The familiar exteriors of the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino and New York-New York Hotel & Casino each received a facelift, and with the changes, guests are going to be welcomed with a look, feel and experience that are different than your normal Las Vegas experience. The plaza experience on the Las VegasStrip takes you outside and allows you to bask in a casual setting as you enjoy new restaurants and stores as well as fantastic live entertainment.

The two casinos fittingly came together in this multi-million-dollar reinvention as you can’t stay at one without at least walking by the other. Just one stoplight apart, Monte Carlo and New York-New York each already had imprinted their own identity on the Las Vegas strip, but the new plaza creates an experience that makes you want to stay within that two block radius to enjoy all that they both offer.

Live music on the plaza

The Monte Carlo expanded the entrance area on the strip and put in a beautiful brick walkway and park-like setting with tables for you to enjoy a morning coffee from Sambalatee, ice cream from BLVD Creamery, some of the great new food being offered or the wide variety of live music. All the while, you are being entertained by the Las Vegas Strip itself from your perfect view of all of the hustle and bustle as you relax on the plaza.

The entertainment experience at the plaza in front of the Monte Carlo is one of the main of attractions of the plaza as it gives you something different than the rest of the Las Vegas Strip – something that has been missing. The plaza itself is home to live and free music throughout the day, with guests being able to enjoy the beautiful setting and just being able to relax while hearing some great bands and musicians. That is just the start of the music as the Double Barrel Roadhouse, which is not only home to some authentic southern faire, turns their restaurant into a rocking live music venue once the sun goes down. With an amazing stage that is anything but typical of a restaurant, you can enjoy this great live music along with some cocktails from the Double Barrel bar into the late hours of the night.

Although not new, Diablo’s has been the face of the front of the Monte Carlo for years and on the weekends they turn their rooftop into one of the most fun parties on the Las Vegas Strip. Simply the liveliest bar on the strip, the action is turned up a notch when live music takes over the open-air second floor with a perfect view of the strip. Long lines and DJ’s at nightclubs have seemingly taken over Las Vegas, but if you are looking for live music, with actual instruments, you are not going to find a better spot than the choices offered at the plaza. If you are looking to have fun in Las Vegas it is tough to beat Diablo’s. This is a high-energy restaurant that has it all from an amazing menu, a rock-n-roll vibe and a staff to match, and of course the happy-hour spinning wheel. Just one look into Diablo’s as you walk by and you are likely to be sucked in from all of the happenings inside, and the rooftop experience and view just takes Diablo’s to another level.

This would not be Las Vegas without a mention of food and while the dining experiences at the plaza might be casual, that does not make them any less tasty. 800 Degrees has gained notoriety for creating a Neapolitan pizza that tends to be done before you get to your seat, but they do more than pizza fast, they also do it amazing. You walk in and you have your dough turned into a pizza right before your eyes, and you can choose any of the 800 Degrees specialty pizzas, or just pick and choose your ingredients as you walk. Beautiful and fresh ingredients are what really set this pizza apart from others and if you love a thin crust that allows you to take in all of the flavor of the pizza, then this is the place for you. While the pizza is spectacular, it is the truffle cheese bread that is addicting. A thicker crust on both layers–perfect for those of you who don’t like that really thin crust– it is stuffed to brim with cheese and topped with truffle olive oil, creating a meal by itself. You can also try some of the homemade meatballs or premium salads. If you are looking for a quick bite but still want to leave completely satisfied, 800 Degrees was created for you.

800 Degrees pizza oven

Great pizza from 800 Degrees

The Double Barrel Roadhouse comes from the creative minds at sbe and not only has the live entertainment to finish your night off, but the 12,000 square foot indoor-outdoor restaurant is home to some rich and flavorful southern-inspired dishes. From barbeque beef brisket that is slow cooked to a smoky and tender perfection and complimented with the Double Barrel barbeque sauce, to the St. Louis smoked ribs and Samy Boy’s barbeque chicken, the food is so good you will never leave here hungry. Just make sure you come back once the sun goes down and enjoy the live music once it gets going.

Double Barrel Roadhouse

Double Barrel appetizer tower

Yusho Japanese Grill & Noodle House did not take long to become a favorite in Las Vegas, and there is little doubt why, given the flavorful Japanese street food dishes that Chef Matthias Merges has created. Yusho was recently voted “Best New Restaurant on the Strip” by Las Vegas Weekly readers. The highlight of the menu is the Logan Poser Ramen, made with crispy pork, egg, nori and cucumber. It is as flavorful as it sounds and once you drop that crispy pork into your ramen and it breaks apart, you’re going to get more flavors than you can keep track of in each bite.

Logan Poser Ramen

There are few places than capture the imagination of adults and children like BLVD Creamery with their homegrown creations. You can choose from the thickest shakes around to giant ice cream sandwiches or fresh bake pastries, just to get you started. For the adults, the flight of four samplers of adult ice cream is a fantastic way to enjoy as you cool down from the Las Vegas heat. The flavors are always changing, but you are likely to find such flavors as Leinenkugel’s Sunset, Blue Moon or Ace Pedar Cider, and you are always welcome to try any flavor before you buy it!

BLVD Creamery

Adult ice cream flight from BLVD Creamery

Sambalatte Coffee Lounge & Espresso Bar: This Las Vegas-based, award-winning coffee shop exclusively features a Coffee Bean Roaster and a state-of-the-art coffee lab, providing “The Theatre of Coffee,” where guests can watch the experts as they undergo the roasting process. Of course, no entertainment experience would be complete without a beverage in hand, so guests may indulge in signature house blends or creative creations, such as the Nutella Latte, while they watch live entertainment on Sambalatte’s outdoor patio. The venue also serves tea, sandwiches, muffins, scones, cookies, pastries and more.

Right next door New York-New York Hotel & Casino is still the iconic place it has always been; as you walk across the Brooklyn Bridge now, you get a much more inviting outdoor with the more open and expansive walkway. As with Monte Carlo, you are going to find new attractions to visit, and there are even more on the way.

The New York-New York plaza is home to four new retail outlets that you can reach from the Brooklyn Bridge: the two level Hershey’s Chocolate World™, Swatch, Stupidiotic and I Love NYNY. In addition, they have taken your everyday Starbucks and turned it into a New York City themed version to complete the experience.

Hershey's World

New York-New York is home to one of the finest Irish restaurants in the city, Nine Fine Irishmen. This wildly popular restaurant is seemingly always packed to capacity inside, so they took advantage of the new plaza by adding an expanded patio. This allows you another great opportunity to get outside and enjoy the liveliness of the Las Vegas Strip while enjoying all of the food, drinks and Irish authenticity that comes with a visit to Nine Fine Irishmen.

New York-New York is not done as they are still working on adding additions to complete your visit to the Brooklyn Bridge. Projected to open late in 2014 will be the Shake Shack and Tom’s Urban. The final completion to this project will come in 2016 with the completion of the 20,000 seat Las Vegas arena by MGM Resorts and AEG that will be home to countless world-class events.

Las Vegas has become much like a life form, always growing and always changing. If you miss a year, well you are not going to know what you are in store for on your next visit. While the recent growth has been about the over-the-top dayclubs and nightclubs, or finding the latest celebrity chef to open a restaurant, the plaza has seen the birth of something a little different. The Monte Carlo and New York-New York have created a pathway between the two that is home to a more casual and friendly setting that still allows you to enjoy all of the world-class food, drink and fun that is Las Vegas. Once this is all done, this might just become your little corner of Las Vegas that you will never want to leave.